1. How Political Parties Are Organized

2. How Political Parties Are Organized
To work effectively, political parties must be well organized:
Leaders, committees, workers to carry out programs
Able to raise money to pay for expenses
Nominate candidates and plan campaigns to get these candidates elected

3. Party Committees
Each party has committees at the national, state, and local levels
National committees plan the party convention where presidential and vice presidential candidates are chosen
National committees publish/distribute party literature and arrange for campaign speeches
Help presidential candidate campaign for the election

4. Party Committees
State committees represent the political party in each state
Work to raise money for campaign and help candidates win elections at the state level
Local committees are responsible for conducting campaigns on the local level
Party’s success or failure often depends on the local committees

5. Local Party Organization
All counties, cities, and wards are divided into voting districts called precincts
All voters in each precinct vote at the same polling place

6. Political Party Finances
Running for political office is EXPENSIVE
Even local campaigns cost hundreds of thousands of dollars
Up to campaigns were paid for entirely with private contributions by individuals and businesses
Many campaigns are still financed this way
Parties hold large fund-raising events several times a year

7. Political Party Finances
Very large contributions make people worry about corruption
Federal Election Campaign Act (1972): requires every candidate in federal elections (Congress or president) to report the name of every person who contributes $200 or more a year
Also limits individuals contributions to $1,000 for primary elections and another $1,000 for general elections

8. Political Party Finances
“Soft money”: FECA allows huge contributions to be made to the political parties themselves
This money cannot be spent on the actual campaigns
Very difficult to monitor how these contributions of “soft money” are actually spent
Could possibly still be used to finance campaigns

9. Public Financing
Individual Americans can choose to contribute $3 of their income taxes to a national election fund
Candidates can use the money that is put into this fund
U.S. Treasury distributes this money to the candidates
Candidates must first raise $5,000 from private contributions before receiving this money
Candidates can take the same amount from the fund that they raise privately
The more money they raise privately, the more they can take from the fund
If a candidate wins a nomination and uses public funds, they can no long accept private contributions
The rest of their campaign must be paid for using public funds

10. ? What do national party committees do? What are precincts?
What did the Federal Election Campaign Act (1972) require?
What is “soft money” and how can it be a problem?
How does the national election fund work?